Jack Ashton

Jack Ashton was born Jack Lewis on November 19, 1986, in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England. Raised in Bedminster, Bristol, he is the son of a sculptor and an education professional. He left Bedminster Down School at 16 to pursue a BTEC in performing arts at Filton College before attending the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London. Ashton adopted his stage name as a tribute to Ashton Gate stadium, home of his favorite football club, Bristol City. His early career included theatrical productions such as “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Donmar Warehouse in 2009.

Ashton’s television career gained significant momentum with his role as Reverend Tom Hereward in the BBC series “Call the Midwife,” appearing from 2014 to 2018 across 35 episodes. This role brought him widespread recognition and was a turning point in his career. In 2023, he took on the character of Lenny Sampson in the BBC series “Waterloo Road,” a former convict addressing knife crime among youth. Other television appearances include “Sister Boniface Mysteries” (2023), “Casualty” (2022-2023), “Professor T” (2024), “The Chelsea Detective” (2023), “McDonald & Dodds” (2020), and a single episode of “Endeavour” (2012).

Beyond television, Ashton expanded into radio, joining the cast of BBC Radio 4’s “The Archers” in 2023 as Harry Chilcott, appearing in 30 episodes through 2024. In film, he starred as Clair Cline in the 2017 BYUtv production “Instrument of War,” a role for which he received critical praise for his portrayal of resilience. He also had a role in “Welcome to Curiosity” (2018) and is set to appear in “Bad Apples” (2025) and the TV mini-series “Lockerbie: A Search for Truth” (2025). Ashton continues to challenge himself with diverse roles across various mediums, demonstrating his range as an actor.